Security and Privacy Basics

Date: 10 Dec 2011

Author: Jonathan Marsden jmarsden@fastmail.fm

URL: http://crosswire.org/~jmarsden/talks/security-and-privacy-basics/security-and-privacy-basics.html

Security basics for individual end users

1. Don't install any software you don't need or don't trust
2. Keep your OS and all installed software up to date
3. Use a hardware firewall router between your PC and the Internet
4. Don't open unnecessary holes in your firewall
5. Keep your machines and backups physically secure

Privacy basics for individual end users:

1. Don't put things on the Internet you want to stay private
2. Use strong passwords
3. Don't re-use passwords
4. Don't send passwords across the Internet unencrypted, (use IPsec, SSH or SSL or better)
5. Don't send passwords or other sensitive info in email, unless it is GPG encrypted

These have been valid for years, and are likely to remain valid for years. None of them are Linux-specific.